Thursday, February 15, 2007

Daydreams

Everything starts as somebody's daydream.

-Larry Niven

It is snowing this morning! It is snowing actual pudgy snowflakes of snow... not the tiny pellets of ice we Texans usually get and call "snow". This is the real stuff. It's like a pretty daydream: all the indoor roses scattered throughout Freeman House have been watching silently, respectfully, as the glittery snow hits the window panes. (Already I can hear all the old men at Bailey's Hardware Store talking about the Great Blizzard of 2007.) Of course, the snow isn't sticking, and if you look anywhere but the sky you can't really see it, but it is snow. Real snow.

Despite the daydream-like snow, I have a dirty confession: I am horrified at myself. Of the handful of blogs I faithfully read, only ONE failed to mention Valentine's Day. I tried not to take it personally when I pulled up her blog yesterday and didn't see a cheery wish for a happy Valentine's. I tried. But... um... well, I guess she wasn't the only one, was she? [Blushing] Please accept my apologies for this belated wish, and know that I truly do (and did) wish a lovely Valentine's Day for you all! (Next year, I'm planning a girly blow-out for the night of February 14th. Note it on your calendars now: February 14, 2008, Freeman House. Be here or wish you had! [Smile]

But seriously now. In all honesty, I've been sicker than those dog-kicking, nun-tripping, orphanage-burning folks who live on pills. I thought I died twice yesterday. In the past 24 hours I have consumed more hot coffee, cold orange juice, Advil Cold and Flu, and Cold-EEZE than I ever thought possible. I believe I may have set a record....

Surely you have one too, right? Oh. Well, I have piles and piles of things... clippings, pictures, lists, notes, cards... that I love to gaze upon for ideas and inspiration. I decided a few years ago that it was pointless to bury these things in files - I forget them, that way - and bought an enormous cork board. Voila, the Daydream Board was born. I love mine. In fact, in my new study, I have a custom board going in, measuring 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide.** I'm giddy with anticipation. The fun thing about Daydream Boards is there are no rules, I simply update it every season, at least, and include snippets of whatever tickles or delights me. (**They're easy to do yourself! I simply bought rolls of cork from a craft supply store and found wooden trim to frame it out with. In a few weeks, I'll give you pics and specifics.)

It's strange, too, how the Daydream Board works. I see something swell, pin it up, and within days... weeks... whatever... I'll suddenly be daydreaming about something unrelated and think, well of course that chair needs a square embroidered cushion. How odd that I didn't see it before. Or, certainly wild strawberries should grow here. Duh. Or even, Why didn't I think of organizing my recipes/files that way? Now "chocolate bread pudding" won't be mixed in with "2005 property taxes"....It's a fun way to encourage daydreaming, I think. Am I alone here? Is anyone else a chronic daydreamer? Sneak up on me anytime I'm in here, and I guarantee you'll see me doing two things: drinking coffee and staring absently at my board. But I'm convinced daydreaming is wonderful hobby. (Especially if you're bored, lonely, or sicker than nun-tripper.) I also think the quote above is true, that nearly everything is a result of someone's daydream.

6 comments:

Oh my, I just discovered your blog and what a treat! I too have an inpiration board in my office and I have several of the same pictures pinned to my board. You must be a Country Home/Country Living gal.

I look forward to having some time to read your blog further. Feel Better! Cammy

Thank you for visiting my blog, and I am just delighted to have found yours in return! I will be back to enjoy your archives as well!Enjoy your snow -- we have nearly two feet of it here in Ohio, and it's beautiful ..... (Loved your comment about the hardware guys talking about the "Blizzard of 2007" -- we are small-town here too, and I can totally relate!)

hi! we got a new welcome screen and i was panicky because my favorites are gone. i madly tapped away trying to find you and feel so relieved that i did. hope you are feeling much better. the family says airborne works wonders - Uncle Ran and Aunt Lu. will you be celebrating the 106th this weekend? i'll miss everybody there. have a good weekend.

I've been enjoying going through your archives. I have the beginnings of a daydream board. I have the board, which is a piece of foamcore on which I have painted a blue background using Traci Bautista's (collage artist) paint scraping technique. But since I don't have much time to daydream during the summer, it's still blank. I've been a daydreamer since way back when. I was almost held back from kindergarten because I got lost in looking out the window instead of doing my coloring pages. I'm so glad that ADD was just beginning to be diagnosed when I was younger. I'm sure that the school would have told my parents to have me checked out and put on medicine. (Medicating children is a soapbox that I'll not get on since it doesn't really relate to this post.)

First I envy you with your window sills wide enough to house inside roses! Where I have sunny windows there is no room for flowers or it's too cold in the winter or there is a hot-air vent directly below. None of which are flower friendly. So I am impatiently waiting real Springtime on the prairie.

Second- You are such an inspiration! A daydream board! I need one! NOW!